The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has earmarked N850 million for the removal of wrecks, clearing of water hyacinths, floating debris, and other materials from Nigeria’s inland waterways in its 2025 budget appropriation.
This allocation forms part of a broader capital expenditure plan of N22.99 billion aimed at improving navigability, safety, and environmental sustainability of the country’s waterways.
A breakdown of the budgetary provisions shows that N300 million has been designated for the removal of wrecks within inland waterways across the South-East, South-West, and South-South geopolitical zones. Additionally, N550 million has been allocated for the mechanical/manual clearing of water hyacinths, floating debris, and waste materials from inland waterways covering Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Beyond wreck removal and environmental cleanup, NIWA’s 2025 budget covers several key projects to enhance inland water transport, ensure safety, and expand operational capacity. A significant N2.65 billion has been budgeted for the partial dredging of 1,000 kilometers of navigable inland waterways, expected to facilitate smoother navigation and improve trade along river routes.
To enhance survey operations, N100 million is allocated for the purchase of geoinformatics equipment, while N200 million is earmarked for the digitization of NIWA’s operations. The budget also includes N350 million for acquiring security and revenue patrol boats, alongside N14.73 billion for the purchase of barges and vessels, signaling NIWA’s commitment to boosting inland water transport.
In further efforts to enhance waterway operations, N100 million will be invested in a hydrographic survey covering inland waterways from Iwopin through the Third Mainland Bridge to Badagry in Lagos State, with an additional N150 million set aside for research and development initiatives.
To support cargo movement, NIWA has allocated N700 million for constructing an inland river port and cargo handling equipment at Lokoja, while another N120 million is planned for an inland river port at Oguta, Imo State. To improve monitoring and evaluation, the agency has proposed N99 million for acquiring relevant equipment, and N150 million has been allocated for establishing water level gauges to monitor sediment flow at 12 prioritized locations nationwide.
Meanwhile the NIWA Managing Director Mr. Bola Oyebamiji has promised to implement new performance parameters in 2025, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, on enhancing efficiency and revenue generation within the sector.
Speaking during the 2025 Management Retreat at NIWA headquarters in Lokoja, Oyebamiji issued a stern warning to staff against indolence and acts of sabotage that could hinder the authority’s revenue drive. Oyebamiji expressed concerns over the underperformance of several Area Offices in 2024, particularly in revenue generation. He emphasized that despite the management’s initial approach of providing opportunities for officers to prove themselves, the results had been disappointing. Consequently, he stated that NIWA would be taking a stricter approach to ensure accountability and improved performance in 2025.
He said for instance, it is unfortunate that many of the area offices didn’t perform optimally, revenue-wise.
He stated that in a recent audit report, many area offices were indicted for failure to act professionally on matters affecting their jurisdictions. The NIWA boss highlighted that some area offices recorded as low as N1 million and N2 million in annual revenue, which he described as unacceptable.
He also noted that many area managers failed to cooperate with a debt recovery consultant appointed in 2024, leading to inconsistencies in debtor records and difficulties in recovering outstanding payments. This shameful negative attitude is simply unacceptable and will no longer be tolerated, he stressed.
In response, NIWA’s Senior Staff Union Chairman, Mr. Suleiman Danjuma, and the Chairman of the Maritime Workers Union, Mr. Zakari Idris, pledged to improve performance and revenue generation efforts. They acknowledged the management’s commitment to staff welfare and the authority’s role in driving economic growth through inland water transport.
